P.S. I have tried both MySpace and Facebook, and in my humble opinion, both of them really suck. Facebook is not offensive, but you have to already know people in order to contact them on Facebook, so what is the point? (Actually, I put my wife’s profile on it, and she didn’t know anyone there, so it seems a waste.) I find MySpace offensive, and really makes me worry about the future of the Internet and our youth. (I saw an episode of the People’s Court yesterday, where predictably, the former couple or whatever they were had met on MySpace.) You can meet people there, but in order to get much attention, one needs to be a potty-mouthed jerk, basically, or a celebrity. At least it seems that way to me. I am still on MySpace, though. I keep thinking that things will get better there. Meanwhile, MySpace assaults me with all sorts of sexually oriented material while my beautiful wife sits about 5 feet away as she is now. MySpace basically seems like a human “meat market” and training ground for juvenile delinquents. In fact, one of my nephews got into a dispute with someone on MySpace, assaulted him with a stick, got arrested and put in jail for awhile. That was about a year ago. Fortunately, he is out of jail now. When I first put my profile on MySpace, I thought I would try to contact him and offer him some guidance. Apparently, he was not supposed to be on MySpace anymore, so a couple days later, his profile was no longer there. I guess that is for the better. I had some posts on my blog about the problems I see with the way the Internet is being used by many people and the lack of oversight of the Internet, which I also put on MySpace, making me even less popular there than before. But darn it, I have this honesty thing, and this bizarre belief that self-examination and honest critique is needed sometimes to correct our shortcomings. Otherwise, we would be going along assuming everything is fine, just like the Bush Administration, until things go boom boom and it all collapses.

I am looking forward to seeing your Real World site, and relating more to people such as yourself who I think know what I am talking about. Your friend, Robert

Sunday, January 18, 2009 10:59 AM

Hi Robert,

I get concerned too when I see a video advertisement of a young girl performing a sexual come-on for everyone to see and react to. She opens herself up to every sort of sexual advance, which can result in serious consequences to her. I suspect communicating without having to look into another persons eyes, as the Internet affords, emboldens us to open up with others in ways we haven’t felt comfortable with before. Any force as powerful and consequential as our sex drive needs to be confronted and openly discussed, not pushed underground to build up energy and pop out as it may. Sexual play is fun but, like everything else we do or are capable of doing, we need to manage its expression, not let it manage us, except under conditions of our own choosing. Otherwise our lives and relationships can suffer serious disruption.

Most of us are afraid to discuss sex openly because of the arousal factor and where it might take us. It’s such a powerful energy, we want to discuss it about as much as we want to hold a hot potato in our hand. In spite of how much it scares us, we need to discuss sex openly with our children and one another. It’s a part of who we are and nothing to be ashamed of. Our silence on the matter only adds to the belief that sex is something to be ashamed of. There are many practical reasons to manage the expression of our sexual energy and, somehow, we need to engage our kids in this discussion, without guilt or fear.

I remember as a young boy dreaming/wishing for adults in the world who were totally uninhibited and natural about sex. These imaginary teachers not only talked to me about sex but demonstrated it for me. They also shared the role sex plays in our lives. They told me it’s primary function is for reproduction and the continued existence of man. But beyond that, it is meant as a way to bond with one another, to celebrate and remind ourselves of our oneness through the giving and sharing of mutual pleasure.

Our sexuality will be one of the discussion topics on Real Talk World once it’s finished. It’s time to embrace ALL that we are, including the idea that we are basically good, not bad. Only by embracing the things we’re afraid of can we move through them and gain control over them. It’s the only way to inject common sense and wisdom into what we think and how we act.

In the absence of openness, honesty and wisdom, what’s left for us to do but experiment and learn on our own?

Live in Love, Truth, and Joy!

Pete

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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